The general director of the Magdeburg Theatre, Julien Chavaz, is moving to Essen. The supervisory board of the Essen Theatre and Philharmonic (TUP) appointed the Swiss national as its new director on Thursday, the company announced. Chavaz will take over the leadership of the Aalto Music Theatre and the Essen Philharmonic Orchestra starting with the 2028/29 season.

Designated artistic director Julien Chavaz (M.)

The director, born in Bern in 1982, was selected from around 40 candidates. He succeeds interim director Peter Theiler, who has been responsible for the transition since April 2026 following the departure of director Merle Fahrholz, who will not be renewing her contract, which runs until summer 2027.

With the appointment of the new artistic director, the supervisory board is setting the course early for the future of the theater and the orchestra, said the chairman of the TUP supervisory board, Essen's mayor Thomas Kufen (CDU). "We are convinced that in Julien Chavaz we have gained a personality who will continue the successful development of our institution with artistic quality, innovative strength and a clear vision for the future."

The designated artistic director explained: "I'm really excited to be making musical theatre and music here. It will be a very exciting move for me from Magdeburg in the east to Essen in the Ruhr area. This city fascinates me and I'm very keen to get to know it even better."

Chavaz has been the general director in Magdeburg since 2022. In August 2025, his contract at the four-genre theater was extended until summer 2032. From 2018 to 2022, he served as artistic director of the Neue Oper Freiburg (NOF) in Switzerland. Chavaz studied agricultural science in Zurich and dramaturgy in Lausanne. He subsequently worked as an assistant director at the Opéra de Paris, the Opéra de Lyon, and the Dutch National Opera in Amsterdam.

© MH - All rights reserved.